Sometimes, being practical is overrated. Taking a flying leap from the ordinary, even at the risk of going too far, is what inspires new ways of thinking and improving. That's certainly true in the world of PC design. The coolest, edgiest products may be too edgy for their own good (and some end up taking a bullet early on), but their short lives help advance the cause of industry innovation. For example, last year, the IBM TransNote notebook, with its paper and pen/stylus technology, and the Sony VAIO Slimtop Pen Tablet, a desktop PC with a tablet-style LCD, earned our Editors' Choice awards for innovation but died young because of low consumer demand. These products, however, helped move pen computing technology forward for the next generation of products.

In fact, perhaps the biggest change sweeping the PC industry this year is the tablet initiative, spearheaded by Bill Gates. Several manufacturers, such as Acer, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, and ViewSonic will debut tablet PCs of all shapes and sizes in the fall.